CD Review: SixTwoSeven “Some Other’s Day”

What happens when a band parts ways? Some people go on with their lives and some decide they want to continue with creating music. Seattle-based musician illfunk (Greg Bilderback) was one such musician who wanted to stay on the path to musical enlightenment. After his last band called it quits, illfunk decided to create music on his own terms…or so that was the plan. What happened was the formation of a new musical ensemble called SIXTWOSEVEN.

Together with musicians bassist MK Ultra (AKA Mike Knapp), Rhythm/Lead Guitarist J Danger (AKA Jason Bilderback) and the Machine (AKA Matt Bilderback) on keyboards and backup vocals, and DC (AKA Dave Cook) on drums, illfunk created a new group in SIXTWOSEVEN that seems to have decided to create music that carries on the traditions of bands from the nineties. The band’s sound borrows its Alternative style from groups like Nirvana, Foo Fighters and even Queens of the Stone Age. The heaviness in the music from SIXTWOSEVEN’s various musical influences shines through in their own music. About one year ago, SIXTWOSEVEN released a four-song EP. That release is entitled Some Other’s Day.

Some Other’s Day from SIXTWOSEVEN begins with the track “Wreckless Soul”. The song’s musical base has a large amount of Weezer’s sound for starters. The Alternative Rock track also has some other influences as well, which help to add more body to the music. “Wreckless Soul” is truly a classic Alternative Rock song, especially when comparing it to the early days of Alternative Rock. The track would have seemed rather out of place in commercial radio playlists from the mid-nineties but would have fit right in on the early Alternative Rock formats that were popping up throughout the country. “Wreckless Soul” is the perfect track for those looking for the “good ole days” of Alternative Rock when it was more about the music than fitting in on radio.

The second track off of Some Other’s Day from SIXTWOSEVEN is the song “Joshua’s Song”. Like the track before it, this song finds the band in a very nostalgic mood as the band once again borrows their sound from one of the best Alternative Rock bands. With the track, the band launches into a track that brings to mind the Red Hot Chili Peppers; more specifically, that band’s song “Californication”. As the listener makes their way through the track, they’ll notice the driving nature of the guitars as well as a very strong thumping bassline. While the track has plenty of SIXTWOSEVEN influence, ultimately, the track feels like old-school Alternative Rock. And just like the track before it, “Joshua’s Song” keeps the spirit of that style alive rather nicely.

Changing things up for the next track, SIXTWOSEVEN goes from Alternative Rock to Old-School Punk. The track “Top of the World” contains a title that is rather misleading. While the title suggests something rather upbeat, it’s something totally different that the listener encounters as the band performs a Punk tune about how fast things can from one moment to the next. Like the first two tracks, the band uses their musical influences rather well when creating their music. The resulting Punk track in “Top of the World” borrows more from bands like The Ramones than from Punk-pop bands like Green Day. When looking for an “anthem” of sorts, the listener should look elsewhere as the track is about a man who is down on his luck. If looking for a powerful Punk track that never eases up, “Top of the World” from SIXTWOSEVEN is definitely something to check out.

illfunk and the rest of SIXTWOSEVEN bring their 2016 release of Some Other’s Day to a close with the song “One Single Night”. While the previous track on the album contain plenty of energy, SIXTWOSEVEN comes at the listener “with everything that they’ve got,” to paraphrase the band from a lyric contained within the song. “One Single Night” contains strong guitars and keyboards that blend together to create a track that feels much like a three and-a-half minute jam session. The band feel tighter on this track than any of the other three tracks. Of any of the four songs contained on Some Other’s Day, SIXTWOSEVEN chose the right one to end their newest release with as leaves the listener wanting more.

Some Other’s Day from SIXTWOSEVEN is a four-song EP that is just what you want: A strong release from a talented band that knows how to make use of their musical influences. While the band uses influences from bands that were at their peaks more than twenty years ago, these influences help SIXTWOSEVENto create a release that blows many of today’s bands away.

To check out some of the music from SixTwoSeven, check out the video to “Wreckless Soul“.

For more information, check out the band’s PR firm, The RMG Media Group.